Ten years have now passed since the first YouTube video was uploaded - an 18-second clip about how cool elephants are shot at the San Diego Zoo. Today YouTube has grown to become the biggest video platform on the web, and fans have turned creators into thebiggest names in entertainment.

As long as most of us can remember, celebrities have existed in a separate world; fans can admire from afar, but any meaningful interaction is strictly off-limits. For the third year, Buffer Festival shows us how celebrity criteria has changed in the past decade and the value of meaningful, authentic engagement.

This weekend, many of the most acclaimed YouTube creators will be in Toronto for Buffer Festival. Fans will have a chance to meet the YouTubers whose lives they have been following online and speak to them in person, taking selfies and recording videos along the way. For the first time this year, we’ll also be livestreaming the red carpet of our Gala Premiere. Starting at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, October 23, tune into Much.comorYouTube to catch the red carpet live, as well as premiere videos from some of YouTube’s most notable personalities such as Shay Carl, Jus Reign, Matthew Santoro, Toby Turner and more!

For aspiring YouTube Creators, we’re excited to announce Creator Day, a chance for emerging creators to learn from the professionals, with successful YouTubers, industry professionals and YouTube experts offering guidance on a variety of topics relevant to their trade, such as videography, editing, and monetizing content.

Last year, thousands of fans came out to meet their favourite YouTube stars and get a first glance at their new videos. The breakout success of Buffer Festival and its creators demonstrates loud and clear just how much Canada loves YouTube and the creators who delight us, make us think and make us laugh.